Inside operator for shutters and similar swinging closures.



L. B. SMYSER.

INSIDE OPERATOR FOR SHUTTERS AND SIMILAR SWINGING GLOSURES.

APPLICATION FILED 00T.1, 1913.

1,095,602. Patented May 5, 1914,

2 SHEETS-SHEET 1- WITNESSES: IN VEN TOR.

f 2 Louie B. Smyser:

A TTORNE Y.

cnLuMBIA PLANOGRAPH (20., WASHINGTON, D. c;.

L. B. SMYSER. INSIDE OPERATOR FOR SHUTTERS AND SIMILAR SWINGING OLOSURES.

APPLIOATION FILED 0013.1, 1913.

1,095,602, Patented May 5, 1914.

2 SHEETS-SHEET 2.

Cowman PLANOGRAPH c0.. WASHINGTON. D. c.

r STATES ra'rn I re LOUIS B. SMYSER, OF NEW BRITAIN, CONNECTICUT, ASSIGNOR TO TI-IE AMERICAN HARDWARE CORPORATION, CONNECTICUT.

INSIDE OPERATOR FOR SHUTTERS AND SIMILAR SVING-ING CLOSURES.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented May 5, 191 4.

Application filed October 1', 1913. Serial No. 792,765.

To aZZ whom it may concern Be it known that I, LoUIs B. SMYsnR, a

certain new and useful Improvements in Inside Operators for Shutters and Similar Swinging Closures, of which the following is a specification.

This invention relates generally to an improved operator for closures which swing on v rtical hinge supports, and to mechanism for operating such closures from the inside of the building.

In certain of its features the mechanism herein illustrated and described is particularly adapted for the operation of shutters which are usually swung outside of the window frame and screen frame.

The object of the invention has been to produce a. mechanism of the character described which is practical from a manufacturing standpoint, the parts of which may be readily assembled, and the complete device easily installed without requiring change or alteration in the shutter itself or in the usual method of hanging it, except in minor details.

Referring to the drawingsFigure 1 is a plan view of a typical installation of my invention. Fig. 2 is a sectional view taken through part of the window frame, but on a large scale. Fig. 3 is a detail view of the various parts of the mechanism detached. Fig. 4 is a plan view of the mechanism assembled. Fig. 5 is a side view thereof.

The invention is illustrated as embodied in a shutter operator.

0: denotes the wall of the building, 6 the sill of the framed opening, 0 a window sash, cl a screen sash, and c the shutters swung in the usual manner on the hinges f.

The operator comprises in general a housing 1, here shown as secured to the outside of the wall near the pivotal points of the shutters and inclosing suitable operating members, for instance gears, to the shaft of one of which is secured a lever 20, having at its end a roller 23 sliding in a slotf30 in the underside of the shutter. The shaft 40 of the other operating member is extended through the sill and has attached to its inner end a handle 41. The construction of this mechanism is shown in detail in Figs. 3, 4, and 5, where 1 denotes the housing having the chamber 2 in its upper side, and a lateral opening 3 communicating therewith. W'ithin the chamber 2 is mounted a gear 5, here shown as a spiral, having at its lower side a stud 6, which is stepped in a bearing t at the bottom of this chamber. 10 is an annular cover closing the chamber, a connector having a bearing inthe cover and a driving connection with the gear 5 through the flatesided stud 7, which fits the transverse s'lot 16. The end of the lever is apertured to receive the upper end of the connector, and has a web 21 fitting within a slot 17 in the connector. The lever, connector and gear are secured together as by a screw 25, and the cover is secured in place on the housing in any convenient manner, as by screws. At the upper end of the lever 20 there is a stud 22 carrying a roller 23 which works in a slot in the plate 31 which is secured to the underside of the shutter. In the lateral opening 3 there is located a gear 35 here shown as a spiral pinion, having a stub end 36 fitted to a proper bearing in the housing, and a bushing 37 filling in the lateral opening 3 and forming a second bearing for the shaft of the gear, this bushing being held in place by the taper pin 38. The pinion 35 is adapted to receive a squared shaft 40 or equivalent driving member, which extends through the wall to the interior of the building where it is provided with a suitable handle 41. It will be apparent that as the pinion is turned by the handle the gear is rotated, swinging the lever which actuates the shutter. Owing to the variable point of engagement between the lever and the shutter, the pivotal point of the lever can be arranged irrespective of the hinge supports of the shutter within reasonable limits, and for convenience in installation and to afford a proper leverage and strength, it is preferably outside of the plane of the shutter and eccentric to the hinge supports. The connection of the mechanism with the shutter is merely through the roller working in the groove on the underside of the shutter, making it possible to remove the shutter from its hinge supports without disturbing the operating mechanism in any way. The connector provides a strong and rigid driving connection between the gear and the lever, provides a bearing for the gear 5 at its upper side, and is replaceable by connectors of varying lengths in order that the mechanism may be adapted to fit various conditions met with in buildings in which it is to be installed. In other words, the parts of the mechanism are all standard for most uses except the connector, which may be provided in lengths to suit different requirements. The lever has a right-angle bend near its pivotal point and is made of a width which shall have sufficient strength to withstand the transverse strains to which it is subjected. The housing provides within itself bearings for one end of both of the gear shafts, and the chambering of the housing provides a receptacle for a lubricant. The pinion is positioned and its shaft supported at its outer end by the bushing 37 which is fixed in the lateral opening 3 by the dowel pin 38.

The installation of the structure requires merely the driving of a hole through the sill to take the operating shaft, and securing the housing with its assembled parts to the outside of the sill in position for the spiral pinion to receive the operating shaft,

care being taken that the swing of the lever will move the shutter from one of its extreme positions to the other.

I am aware that other spiral gears may be used as a driving connection between the two shafts, and that the structure here selected for illustration and description is susceptible of various alterations and modifications which would not change the principle of construction or operation here disclosed, and I do not wish to be understood as limiting myself to the exact construction here illustrated and described.

I claim as my invention 1. The combination with a framed opening and a closure therefor, of an operating mechanism for said closure comprising a housing adapted to be secured to said frame, a pair of intermeshing gears suitably supported within said housing, means for securing said gears in place with an end of each shaft exposed, a lever operatively attached at one end to said closure through a shift ing connection, a member separate from but constituting a. driving connection between the other end of said lever and the exposed end of one of said gear shafts, and an operating shaft connected with the exposed end of the other gear shaft.

2. The combination with a framed opening and a closure therefor mounted on ver tical hinge supports, of operating mechanism for said closure comprising a housing adapted for attachment to said frame, a pair of meshing gears located within said housing with their axes arranged at right angles, a bearing in said housing for one end of each gear shaft, removable means securable in said housing to support the other end of each gear shaft and leave the ends of said shafts exposed, an actuating lever for said closure having a shifting connection therewith, a driving connection between the exposed end of one of said gear shafts and said lever, an operating shaft connected with the exposed end of the other gear shaft, and a handle thereon.

3. The combination with a framed opening and a closure therefor mounted upon vertical hinge supports, of operating mecha nism for said closure comprising a housing secured at an outer part of the frame, intermeshing gears supported in said housing, means for holding said gears in position with an end of each gear shaft exposed, an actuating lever for said closure having a shifting connection therewith at one end, the opposite end of the lever being apertured and provided with a web extending across said aperture, a connector adapted to fit within the aperture in said lever and transversely grooved to receive said web, a driving connection between the other end of said connector and the exposed end of one gear shaft, and an operating shaft connected it-h the exposed end of the other gear shaft and extending to the inside of said frame.

4. An operating mechanism for swinging closures mounted on vertical hinge supports, comprising a chambered housing, a pair of intermeshing gears mounted therein, bearings within said housing to support said gears at one side, means for securing said gears in place with an end of each shaft exposed, an actuating lever, a member separate from but forming a driving connection bet-ween said lever and one of the gears, means for connecting together said lever, member and gear, and an operating shaft connected with the exposed end of the other gear shaft.

5. An operating mechanism for swinging closures mounted on vertical hinge supports, comprising a housing chambered in its upper side, a gear mounted in the chamber and supported in a bearing in the bottom thereof, an annular cover for said chamher through which the gear is exposed, means for securing the cover in place, a connector with one end extending through said cover into driving engagement with the gear, an actuating lever for the closure, the opposite end of said connector being in driving engagement with said lever, a sec- 0nd gear mounted in said housing in mesh with the first mentioned gear, and an actuating shaft therefor.

6. An operating mechanism of the character described, comprising a housing chambered in its upper side and having a lateral opening communicating with said chamber, a gear mounted in said chamber and supported. in a suitable bearing therein, a pinion located in the lateral opening in mesh with said gear and suitable bearings therefor, a cover for said chamber, a lever, a member separate from but constituting a driving connection between said gear and lever, a swinging closure provided with vertical hinge supports, and operative connections between the free end of the lever and said closure.

7. The combination with a shutter and its vertically arranged hinge supports, of operating mechanism for said shutter, comprising a housing adapted to be secured in position to a frame underneath said shutter, a gear supported within said housing with its axis outside of the plane of said shutter and eccentric to its hinge supports, a lever arranged underneath and concealed by said shutter when it is closed and operatively connected therewith, a driving connection between said lever and gear, a second gear mounted in said housing in mesh with the first mentioned gear, and a laterally extending operating shaft therefor.

8. The combination with a shutter and its vertically arranged hinge supports, and a channel formed in the lower edge of the shutter, of operating mechanism for said shutter comprising a housing adapted to be secured in position to a frame underneath said shutter, a gear supported within said housing with its axis outside of the plane of said shutter and eccentric to its hinge supports, a lever arranged underneath and concealed by said shutter when it is closed, a roller supported at one end of said lever and adapted to move longitudinally in said channel as the shutter swings on its hinge supports, the opposite end of said lever being bent outwardly to aline with the axis of said gear, a connector between the lever and gear, a second gear mounted in the housing in mesh with the first mentioned ear, and a laterally extending operating shaft therefor.

9. An operating mechanism for swinging closures, including a housing having a chamber in its upper side and a lateral opening in one face communicatin with said chamber, a bearing formed at the bottom of said chamher and at the end of said lateral opening, a gear located in said chamber and provided with a stud on its lower end fitted within said bearing, an annular cover for said chamber forming a bearing at the upper side of said gear, a pinion and its shaft mounted in the lateral opening with the end of the shaft supported in said bearing, and a bushing fitting within said opening and forming a bearing for the outer end of the shaft, and means for securing said closure and bushing in place.

10. In an operator for swinging closures, a housing chambered in its upper side, a gear and its shaft mounted in said chamber, the lower end of said shaft being supported in a suitable bearing in the bottom of said chamber, the upper end of said shaft being of irregular shape, an annular cover for said housing, a member having a bearing in said cover, a driving connection between said member and said shaft, a lever provided with a driving engagement with the upper end of said member, the free end of said lever being adapted for operative engagement with the closure.

11. In an operator for swinging closures, a housing chambered in its upper side, a gear and its shaft mounted in said chamber, the lower end of said shaft being supported in a suitable bearing in the bottom of said chamber, the upper end of said shaft being of irregular shape, an annular cover for said housing, a member having a bearing in said cover, a driving connection between said member and said shaft, a lever having an aperture in its end adapted to fit over the end of said member, a web extending across said aperture adapted to interlock with said member, the opposite end of said lever being adapted for operative engagement with the closure.

12. An operator for swinging closures, comprising a housing, a gear and its shaft mounted therein, a lever, a connector interposed between said lever and gear, non-integral with either, and having driving engagement with each.

LOUIS B. SMYSER.

\Vitnesses:

N. G. Gnarls, WVILLIAM V. COLLINS.

Copies of this patent may be obtained for five cents each, by addressing the Commissioner of Patents. Washington, D. G. 

